Circuito del Montenero

The Montenero Circuit, official name: Circuito del Montenero or sometimes referred to simply as "the Livorno Circuit", was a Grand Prix motor racing road course located at the southern outskirts of Livorno, a city on the mediterranean coast of the Tuscany region in Italy. The venue was best known as the home for the annual Circuito Montenero - Coppa Ciano and the 1937 Italian Grand Prix.[1][2]

Circuito Montenero-Coppa Ciano
LocationLivorno, Italy
Time zoneGMT +1
Coordinates43°30′45″N 10°19′2″E
Major eventsFormula Libre - Grand Prix - Voiturette
SurfaceAsphalt
Length22.5 km (14.0 mi)
Turns164
Race lap record13:27.8 (89.13 km/h) (55.8 mph) ( Tazio Nuvolari, Alfa Romeo, 1933, Grand Prix)
Circuito Montenero (1936-1937)
SurfaceAsphalt
Length7.218 km (4.485 mi)
Turns14
Race lap record2:44:54 (125.9 km/h) ( Rudolf Caracciola, Mercedes, 1937, Grand Prix)
Circuito Montenero (1938-1939)
SurfaceAsphalt
Length5.80 km (3.60 mi)
Turns9
Race lap record2:30.10 (139.5 km/h) ( Giuseppe Farina, Alfa Romeo, 1939, Grand Prix)
Circuito Montenero (1948)
SurfaceAsphalt
Length5.01 km (3.107 mi)
Turns10
Race lap record1:13.51 (101.56 km/h) ( Franco Venturi, Cisitalia D46 - Fiat, 1947, Voiturette 1500)
Winning Varzi in P2 on this day

The circuit was created in 1921 at the initiative of Paolo Fabbrini, owner of the newspaper Corriere di Livorno to host local sports car races.[1] On September 25 the same year, the first "Coppa Montenero" was held on an 18.5 km long public roads circuit with 164 corners, starting at the seafront "Rotonda" (Parco Bartolini) in the Ardenza district of Livorno, stretching up into the hills of Montenero, climbing to about 300 meters above sea level before returning down to the start/finish line. The circuit was long, with dangerous sections and extremely hard on both man and machine but considered a huge success, attracting interest from regional motoring clubs and the automobile industry alike.

In 1927, Livorno-born politician Costanzo Ciano donated the first "Coppa Ciano" trophy, starting one of the most prestigious Grand Prix racing series to endure for the next 12 years. Like many other circuits of the era, Montenero had to change its layout several times over the years to accommodate the growing demands of racing technology. The last major Circuito Montenero - Coppa Ciano Grand Prix in 1939 also marks the end of the great road course era. Safety concerns, increasingly unmanageable circuit demands, faster cars among other factors left shorter, purpose-built race tracks as the only viable alternative for future Grand Prix venues. One last "Coppa Montenero" was held in 1947 in an attempt to revive the circuit but proved to be financially unsuccessful. A minor sports car race in 1953 was the last event before the track was closed down for good.

Circuit history
  • 1921:
  • 1922-1924:
  • 1925-1930:
  • 1931-1932:
  • 1933-1935:
  • 1936:
  • 1937:
  • 1938:
  • 1939:
  • 1947:
  

I Circuito Montenero (Coppa Montenero)
Circuito Montenero
Circuito Montenero (I Coppa Ciano 1937)
Circuito Montenero - Coppa Ciano
Circuito Montenero - Coppa Ciano
Circuito Montenero - Coppa Ciano (*)
XV Gran Premio d'Italia (XVII Coppa Ciano)
Circuito Montenero - Coppa Ciano, (Voiturette)
Circuito Montenero - Coppa Ciano
Coppa Montenero

  

110 km
180 km
225 km
200 km
240 km
216.5 km
360 km
145.0 km
232.0 km
125.0 km

  

(6 laps   - 18.5 km road course)
(8 laps   - 22.5 km road course)
(10 laps - 22.5 km road course)
(10 laps - 20 km road course)
(12 laps - 20 km road course)
(30 laps - 7.218 km street circuit)
(50 laps - 7.218 km street circuit)
(25 laps - 5.8 km street circuit)
(40 laps - 5.8 km street circuit)
(25 laps - 5.01 km street circuit)

(*) The mountain section of the circuit was dropped from 1936 to 1947

Circuito Montenero by year
Year Race Name Dist. Circuit Formula Driver Manufacturer Time Report
1921 I Circuito del Montenero 109.2 km 18.5 km 2000cc Corrado Lotti Ansaldo 2000 2:44:26 Report
1922 II Circuito Montenero 180 km 22.5 km Formula Libre Carlo Masetti Bugatti 37 1500 2:52:42 Report
1923 III Circuito Montenero 180 km 22.5 km Formula Libre Mario Razzauti Ansaldo 2000 2:52:42 Report
1924 IV Circuito Montenero 180 km 22.5 km Formula Libre Renato Balestrero OM 665 2:34:58 Report
1925 V Circuito Montenero 225 km 22.5 km Formula Libre Emilio Materassi Itala Spl 3:16:40 Report
1926 VI Circuito Montenero 225 km 22.5 km Formula Libre Emilio Materassi Itala Spl 2:55:10 Report
1927 VII Circuito Montenero 225 km 22.5 km Formula Libre Emilio Materassi Bugatti T35C 2:45:18 Report
I Coppa Ciano (Sport) 225 km 22.5 km Sports car Attilio Marinoni Alfa Romeo 6C-1500 2:52:42 Report
1928 VIII Circuito Montenero 225 km 22.5 km Grand Prix Emilio Materassi Talbot 700 2:38:57 Report
II Coppa Ciano (Sport) 225 km 22.5 km Sports car Mario Razzauti Alfa Romeo 6C-1500 2:52:42 Report
1929 IX (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano 225 km 22.5 km Grand Prix Achille Varzi Alfa Romeo P2 2:38:51 Report
1930 X (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano 225 km 22.5 km Grand Prix Luigi Fagioli Maserati 26M 2:33:50 Report
1931 XI (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano 200 km 20.0 km Grand Prix Tazio Nuvolari Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza 2:23:40 Report
1932 XII (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano 200 km 20.0 km Grand Prix Tazio Nuvolari Alfa Romeo Tipo-B 'P3' 2:18:19 Report
1933 XIII (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano 240 km 20.0 km Grand Prix Tazio Nuvolari Maserati 8CM 2:45:08 Report
1934 XIV (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano 240 km 20.0 km Grand Prix Achille Varzi Alfa Romeo Tipo-B 'P3' 2:49:52 Report
1935 XV (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano 240 km 20.0 km Grand Prix Tazio Nuvolari Alfa Romeo Tipo-B 'P3' 2:42:08 Report
1936 XVI (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano 216.5 km 7.218 km Grand Prix Nuvolari / Pintacuda Alfa Romeo 8C-35 1:44:54.4 Report
1937 XVII (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano * 360.0 km 7.218 km Grand Prix Rudolf Caracciola Mercedes-Benz W125 2:44:54.4 Report
1938 XVIII (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano 232.0 km 5.80 km Grand Prix Hermann Lang Mercedes-Benz W154 1:00:35.2 Report
XVIII (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano 145.0 km 5.80 km Voiturette Emilio Villoresi Maserati 6CM 1:05:21.6 Report
1939 XIX (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano 348.0 km 5.80 km Grand Prix Giuseppe Farina Alfa Romeo 158 2:30:10.4 Report
1940-1946 (Not held)
1947 XX Coppa Montenero 125.0 km 5.01 km Voiturette Franco Venturi Cisitalia D46 - Fiat 1:13:51.2 Report
* (AIACR European Driver Championship round) [3][4] - Sources:[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]

Montenero circuit maps
Circuito Montenero 1922
Circuito Montenero 1936
Circuito Montenero 1937
Circuito Montenero 1938-1939
Street Map - Montenero Circuit 1947

Notes
  • Circuit data for 'Fast Lap' (if available) is inconsistent.
  • Times given are for the completed race.
  • Fastest drivers for the major circuit variants are determined by median speed average
  • Race (event) numbering is adopted from "Circuito del Montenero Coppa Ciano" (Italian)

Inconsistencies and discrepancies in Grand Prix era race numbering were often due to political conflicts between regional municipalities and national sanctioning bodies. (example: Grand Prix de la Marne vs Grand Prix de Reims vs Grand Prix de l'ACF

References
  1. "La Coppa Montenero (1921-1939)" (in Italian). circuitodelmontenero.it. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
  2. "1937 - XV Gran Premio d'Italia". Leif Snellman. Retrieved December 11, 2010.
  3. "AIACR European Championship 1937". dlg.Leif Snellman. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  4. "AIACR European Driver Championships". dlg.speedfreaks.org. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  5. "1924 IV Circuito Montenero". teamdan.com. Archived from the original on February 13, 2015. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  6. "1925 V Circuito Montenero". teamdan.com. Archived from the original on April 16, 2014. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  7. "1926 VI Circuito Montenero". teamdan.com. Archived from the original on June 18, 2015. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  8. "1927 VII Circuito Montenero - I Coppa Ciano (Sport)". teamdan.com. Archived from the original on May 15, 2015. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  9. "1928 VIII Circuito Montenero - II Coppa Ciano (Sport)". teamdan.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  10. "1929 IX Circuito Montenero - III Coppa Ciano". Leif Snellman. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  11. "1930 X Circuito Montenero - IV Coppa Ciano". Leif Snellman. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  12. "1931 XI Circuito Montenero - V Coppa Ciano". Leif Snellman. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  13. "1932 XII Circuito Montenero - VI Coppa Ciano". Leif Snellman. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  14. "1933 XIII Circuito Montenero - VII Coppa Ciano". Leif Snellman. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  15. "1934 XIV Circuito Montenero - VIII Coppa Ciano". Leif Snellman. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  16. "1935 XV Circuito Montenero - IX Coppa Ciano". Leif Snellman. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  17. "1936 XVI Circuito Montenero - X Coppa Ciano". Leif Snellman. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  18. "1937 - XVII Circuito Montenero - XI Coppa Ciano". Leif Snellman. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  19. "1938 XVIII Circuito Montenero - XII Coppa Ciano". Leif Snellman. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  20. "1939 XIX Circuito Montenero - XIII Coppa Ciano". Leif Snellman. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  21. "1947 XX Circuito del Montenero". formula2.net. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
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